ONE AFTERNOON, PRINCE
VARDHAMAN WAS PLAYING A CATCH AND RIDE GAME WITH HIS FRIENDS. THE PERSON WHO
WON WOULD GET TO RIDE ON THE BACK OF THE LOSER. A NEW CHILD JOINED THEIR
GAME. THIS CHILD WAS EASY TO CATCH, AND HE LOST EVERY TIME. ALMOST EVERY
CHILD GOT TO RIDE ON HIS BACK. PRINCE VARDHAMAN ALSO CAUGHT THE NEW CHILD.
VARDHAMAN ALSO RODE ON HIS BACK.

(A FEW MINUTES LATER)

WHILE VARDHAMAN WAS ON
HIS BACK, THE CHILD STARTED TO GROW BIGGER AND TALLER. AT FIRST, VARDHAMAN'S
FRIENDS WATCHED THIS WITH CURIOSITY. LATER WHEN THE CHILD'S FACE BEGAN TO
TURN WEIRD, THE CHILDREN GOT SCARED AND STARTED TO RUN AWAY IN PANIC. SOME
CHILDREN CLIMBED UP THE TREES WHILE OTHERS RAN TO TELL THEIR PARENTS. DURING
ALL OF THIS, VARDHAMAN REMAINED CALM AND BRAVE. THE MONSTER KEPT GROWING
VERY TALL SO VARDHAMAN HIT THE MONSTER IN THE HEAD WITH HIS FIST. THE
MONSTER TRIED TO THROW VARDHAMAN OFF HIS BACK TO AVOID THE PAIN, BUT HE
COULD NOT SUCCEED.

ULTIMATELY THE MONSTER
GAVE UP AND ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS. VARDHAMAN FORGAVE THE MONSTER. THE
MONSTER CALLED HIM "MAHAVIRA", WHICH MEANS STRONG ONE. SINCE THEN, PRINCE
VARDHAMAN WAS CALLED MAHAVIRA.